To be a fully fledged fighter in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, you have to possess a range of different skills. Whilst you do need the physical attributes necessary to succeed, there also needs to be a distinct ability within the fighter to stay respectful and composed.
Unfortunately, that trait isn't something that everyone takes on board - as evidenced by these five entries in particular.
We aren't saying that you need to be an absolute saint because we've seen a number of controversial figures try their hand at mixed martial arts in the past. However, what we are suggesting is that there's a certain class you need to have if you want to thrive at the top level for an extended period of time.
Hell, Conor McGregor is the only person who's ever really defied this logic and even he got sparked out by Nate Diaz.
If there's a moral within the UFC that everyone learns at one point or another, it's that everybody falls down. No matter how good you think you are, every dog has his day and that's why there's such an insane amount of preparation that goes into every training camp.
Stay calm, stay humble - and most importantly stay focused. Don't fall into the trap of believing your own hype. With that in mind, let's take a look at five times UFC fighters made a fool of themselves in the Octagon.
#1 Sonnen's spinning back fist
When Chael Sonnen came within minutes of defeating Anderson Silva for the UFC Middleweight Championship, everyone was convinced that we'd see a rematch. The two fighters went to war and the Brazilian only came away with the belt because of a fortunate submission towards the end of the battle.
So when the second instalment of their rivalry came round, everyone was naturally very excited.
But Sonnen fans were left bitterly disappointed after the bad guy went for a spinning back fist, only to end up on his back which opened the door for Silva to knee him in the face and eventually win the fight. After all of Chael's trash talking in the build up to the sequel, it really did make him look a bit silly as it was such an unusual move to attempt and it came off as cocky more than anything else.
Speaking of Silva, let's talk about when he got a taste of his own medicine.
#2 Silva's showboating
Anderson Silva is known for his tendency to mess around inside the Octagon. Anyone who saw his fight all those years ago against Maia knows how frustrating the Spider can be at times, however, many actually enjoy his showboating because he always backs it up. Well, he used to, at least.
After years of triumphs inside of the Octagon, Silva's luck finally came to an end at the hands of an American hero.
The man in question was Chris Weidman, with the Championship fight between the two exposing Silva for his overconfidence. The Brazilian was taunting Weidman left, right and centre, continually trying to show the youngster up until the challenger finally caught Silva with a great shot that led to him capturing the Middleweight Title. Unlucky, Anderson.
Moving on to something very, very different indeed.
#3 Maynard's self knock-out
Things were a little bit different back in the early days of the UFC, with the smaller crowds voicing their displeasure if something happened that they didn't approve of. Well, during Gray Maynard's battle with Rob Emerson in 2007 they certainly made their feelings known after the contest was deemed to be a no contest. Why you ask?
Because Maynard knocked himself out. The veteran fighter lifted Emerson up and slammed him back down to the canvas, however, in the process he knocked himself out cold just seconds after Emerson tapped out.
The unusual scenario was followed up by Gray protesting his case in the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, which just continued to make him seem all the more ridiculous. We move a few years forward now to an incident involving one of the deadliest women on the planet.
#4 Rousey throws a hissy fit
Ronda Rousey is one of the greatest attractions in the history of the UFC and there's really no denying that. She ran through her division during her first few years in the company and nobody could touch her - that was until Holly Holm came along, of course.
Following the devastating loss, Rousey took over a year off from the sport, before returning to face the new Champion Amanda Nunes.
Unfortunately, that didn't pan out so great for Ronda, as her abysmal performance inside the Octagon led to a convincing Nunes victory. What was really embarrassing, however, was the fact that Rousey stormed out of the cage and once again refused to partake in a post-fight interview.
It was foolish, childish and once again showed her up as one of the most high maintenance figures in all of mixed martial arts. We conclude with one of the worst acts of unprofessionalism in the history of MMA.
#5 Daley turns heel
Paul Daley went up against Josh Koscheck knowing that the winner would coach opposite Georges St-Pierre on The Ultimate Fighter. If that wasn't enough of an incentive, they'd also go on to face GSP himself for the UFC Welterweight Championship.
After a fascinating fight, it seemed obvious that Koscheck was the victor, however, Daley reacted in a way that would see his UFC career ended for good.
Daley nailed Koscheck with a cheap shot after the bell, inciting rage within everyone in the arena in addition to UFC president Dana White. It was one of the most ridiculous things we've ever seen, and Dana has stuck to his word when it comes to banning Daley from the company. Essentially, this is pretty much the closest thing to a heel turn you'll ever see.
Send us news tips at [email protected]
